Research Interests Education KARAN JANI
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KARAN JANI Curriculum Vitae Email [email protected] web: www.karanjani.com Address Vanderbilt University, Department of Physics & Astronomy 6301 Stevenson Science Center, Nashville, TN 37212, USA Phone work: +1-615.322.4908 cell: +1-814.321.7501 skype: karan_jani Social Media /in/karanjani @astroKPJ /astroKPJ @astroKPJ Research Interests Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics (100+ publications, 50+ invited talks) Intermediate-mass black holes; Numerical relativity simulations on supercomputers; Data-analysis in LIGO; Next-gen. gravitational-wave experiments moon and space International Affairs, Science & Education Policies (3 publications, 6 invited talks) Security implications of big data; Global cooperations in space-science; K-12 and higher-education in India Education 2012 - 2017 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Physics Georgia Institute of Technology, USA Thesis title: “Journey of Binary Black Holes: From Supercomputers to LIGO to Universe” Thesis Advisor: Prof. Deirdre Shoemaker - Sam Nunn Fellow (awarded to 8 PhDs across all disciplines) - Vice-President Student Government (6 colleges, 9000+ students) - LIGO Scientific Collaboration Fellow (on-site at LIGO Livingston) - American Physical Society-FIP Distinguished Student Award - Gravitational-Wave-Intl’-Committee-Braccini Thesis Prize, Hon’ mention 2007 - 2011 Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Astronomy & Astrophysics, B.S. in Physics, Minor in Mathematics Pennsylvania State University, USA Project: “Orbital Configuration of LISA-like Gravitational Wave Detectors” Advisor: Prof. Lee Samuel Finn - Summer research at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (Canada) and Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Germany) - Vanderbilt Uni. Prize for Undergrad. Research in Phys. & Astro. (finalist) - First Prize for Undergraduate Research (Eberly College of Sciences) - Eberly College of Sciences Dean’s List 2006 - 2007 B.Sc. in Physics (transferred after the first year) Maharaja Sayajirao University, India 1 KARAN JANI Curriculum Vitae karanjani.com I. RESEARCH Professional Experience 2020 - Present Research Assistant Professor in Physics & Astronomy Vanderbilt University 2019 - 2020 GRAVITY Postdoctoral Fellow Vanderbilt University 2017 - 2019 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Relativistic Astrophysics Georgia Institute of Technology 2016 LSC Fellow, LIGO Livingston Observatory California Institute of Technology 2015 - 2016 Sam Nunn Fellow, Center for International Strategy, Technology & Policy Georgia Institute of Technology 2012 - 2017 Graduate Research Assistant, School of Physics Georgia Institute of Technology 2010 Undergrad Research Fellow, Quantum Gravity Group Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 2009 Summer Research, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics Albert Einstein Institute, Potsdam, Germany 2008 - 2012 Research Assistant, Institute for Gravitation & Cosmos Pennsylvania State University Honors & Awards 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 All-Star Alumni List includes Simone Biles (Olympian) & Billie Eilish (Grammy winner) Postdoc of The Year Selected across Vanderbilt University for excellence in research & scholarship 2019 GRAVITY Fellowship 2018 TED Speaker, Official TED Conference 105 Interdisciplinary Thinkers in the World, Vice-Motherboard 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 - Science Office of Executive Vice President of Research Award 4th Annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium, Georgia Tech CNN-News18 Tech Personality of The Year (Viewer’s Choice Winner) 2017 Gravitational-Wave-International-Committee - Braccini Thesis Prize (Honorable Mention) Prof. P. C. Vaidya Centennial Lecture (Vaidya metric fame) 2 KARAN JANI Curriculum Vitae karanjani.com 2016 LIGO Scientific Collaboration Fellowship Distinguished Student Award Awarded by Forum of International Physics & American Physical Society College of Sciences Award for Best Poster Career, Research & Innovation Development Conference, Georgia Tech Distinguished Speaker International Conclave on Higher Education 2015 Sam Nunn Security Fellowship Funded by the MacArthur Foundation 2013 Student Visitation Award Indo-US Science & Technology Forum and the American Physical Society 2010 Research Fellowship at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 2009 Vanderbilt University Prize (National Finalist) Undergraduate Research in Physics & Astronomy Honors shared with the LIGO Discovery Team 2017 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research Bruno Rossi Prize, Awarded by the High-Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society Einstein Medal, Awarded by the Einstein Society in Bern, Switzerland 2016 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics ($3 million prize) Gruber Prize Cosmology, Gruber Foundation, Yale University Grants & Proposals Total funding ~ $1.2 million • National Science Foundation Proposals – “Multi-Band and Multi-Messenger Astrophysics with Intermediate-Mass Black Holes” ($600,000)- Kelly Holley-Bockelmann (PI), Karan Jani (co-PI) Proposal submitted to NSF Gravity Theory program, 2019 – Contributed to the writing of “Compact Objects and Gravitational Radiation” ($600,000) for Deirdre Shoemaker (PI), Pablo Laguna (Co-PI), 2017-2019 – Contributed to the writing of “Gravitational Wave Transient Astrophysics with LIGO” ($440,000) for Laura Cadonati (PI), Deirdre Shoemaker (Co-PI), 2017-2019 3 KARAN JANI Curriculum Vitae karanjani.com • Computing Proposals – Contributed to the writing of XSEDE proposal “Gravitational Wave Astrophysics of Compact Objects” (1.3 Million SUs ~ $100,000) for Pablo Laguna (PI), 2018 • Indo-US Science and Technology Forum – Successfully acquired grants for long-term visits to India ($3000), 2013 • University Funds – Successfully acquired multiple awards ($4500), from the Conference Fund allocated by the Student Government Association of Georgia Tech, 2013-2015 Mission White Papers: • NASA Artemis Program – Primary author on white paper for a moon-based gravitational-wave detector • Snowmass 2021 – Primary author on Letter of Intent for a moon-based gravitational-wave detector • Voyage 2050 Science Programme Call from the European Space Agency – Coordinated white-papers on behalf of the LISA Consortium 2050 Task Force, 2019 – Selected for presentation to the Agency workshop, October 39-21 2019, Madrid, Spain • Astro 2020 Decadal Survey – Coordinated white papers on behalf of NASA Gravitational Wave Science Interest Group for the LISA mission, 2019 Professional Membership Collaborations LIGO Scientific Collaboration Full Member since 2015 One of the senior members of Vanderbilt-Fisk LIGO Group International LISA Consortium Full Member since 2018 Part of the LISA Consortium 2050 Task Force Indian Initiative in Gravitational-wave Observations Member since 2016 Involved with the efforts for LIGO-India project Societies American Astronomical Society Member since 2019 American Physical Society Member since 2010 Society of Physics Students Member during undergraduate studies - 2008-2011 4 KARAN JANI Curriculum Vitae karanjani.com Roles in LIGO Scientific Collaboration Third Observing Run (2019 - 2020): • GW190521 – Representative on behalf of the LIGO Collaboration at the official Press Conference – Member of the Paper Writing Team • Intermediate-Mass Black Hole Search – Analyst with the Burst Working Group; Numerical relativity interface Second Observing Run (2016 - 2017): • Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog-1 – Technical Liaison from the Burst Working Group – Editorial Contributions to the paper • GW170817 - First Multi-Messenger and Binary Neutron Star Detection – LSC Reviewer for NASA Fermi-GBM discovery paper of GRB 170817A • Intermediate-Mass Black Hole Search – Paper Writing Team – Co-lead from Burst Working Group – Technical Liaison for NR Waveforms Working Group • GW170823 - Binary Black Hole Detection – Contributed in Detection Checklist • GW170104 - Binary Black Hole Detection – Numerical relativity visualizations [poster] • LSC Fellow at LIGO Livingston Observatory – Stationed at the detector for 3 months – In-charge of hardware injection for both the LIGO detectors during O2a – Data quality shifts for rapid feedback with LIGO sites First Observing Run (2015 - 2016): • GW150914 - First detection of gravitational waves – Conducted targeted numerical relativity simulations – Co-wrote GW150914 Burst Companion Paper – Co-wrote GW150914 Numerical Relativity Companion Paper – Developed sensitivity studies for O1-All-Sky Search Paper • Intermediate-Mass Black Hole Search – Primary project for PhD thesis – Co-editor in Paper Writing Team and Lead from the Burst Working Group LIGO-India: • Official invitation to discuss with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi – Part of the NSF Delegation for the signing of LIGO-India MoU 5 KARAN JANI Curriculum Vitae karanjani.com Speaking Engagements Full list includes 103 talks = 33 colloquiums & seminars; 36 talks at conferences & meetings; 34 invited talks at industry & public lectures (listed on page 13) All talks presented by K. Jani (unless stated otherwise) Selected Colloquiums & Seminars: 1. Yale University, Astronomy Colloquium, “Detection of a New Class of Black Holes,” September 24, 2020 2. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, ITC Colloquium, “Detection of Lite-Intermediate Mass Black Holes in LIGO-Virgo”, September 10, 2020 3. University of Amsterdam, GRAPPA Colloquium, “Detection of a New Class of Black Holes,” September 24, 2020 4. Maynooth University, Ireland, ASI Colloquium, “Discovery of “Lite” Intermediate-Mass Black Holes,” October 13, 2020 5. Fermilab,